GAMSTOP records 12% Year on Year growth in first half of 2023

[News Hound]

GAMSTOP reports that they had record sign-ups in March and May with a 30% increase in the number of 16-24-year-olds registering this year

Read the full article here: GAMSTOP records 12% Year on Year growth in first half of 2023

 

[waynek]

What they should mention is that if u use gamstop for even 6 months u will never get most of your U.k site accounts back as they see you as a problem gambler.
If u try u have to jump through hoops and then they say no u cant have it back try again in 6 months. lol

 

[Webzcas]

Yes I agree with you, but that is not necessarily a bad thing IMO.

 

[justdoit]

Yes I agree with you, but that is not necessarily a bad thing IMO.

for short brake is not great, for long run yes its good, but now with all the crypto casinos offer gamstop has no value, most of UK players join Gamstop to avoid UK casino and move to crypto casino

 

[satchnz]

for short brake is not great, for long run yes its good, but now with all the crypto casinos offer gamstop has no value, most of UK players join Gamstop to avoid UK casino and move to crypto casino

Out of interest, as I’ve heard this from more than one person, why would you join Gamstop just to avoid UK casinos if you are playing offshore? Wouldn’t you just not play at a UK casino? What is the advantage of being on Gamstop too?

 

[justdoit]

Out of interest, as I’ve heard this from more than one person, why would you join Gamstop just to avoid UK casinos if you are playing offshore? Wouldn’t you just not play at a UK casino? What is the advantage of being on Gamstop too?

to avoid sharing all credit files with casinos, some casinos they spam your credit files, like red32 I got check 3 time same day, I dont even have account with red32, is stupid to give power to casino check your credit score

I dispute every UK casino they spam my credit files,

 

[bamberfishcake]

The problem I have with GAMSTOP is that I cannot find a single thing about the RG tools available to players to protect them from reaching a point where they need to use the service.

You would think that if they truly cared, they would highlight deposit, loss, wager limits and pop-up reminders.

Funnily enough, from the few well-known charitable organisations I have checked, none seem to mention such services. Is prevention not better than cure? Perhaps they are keen to increase their relevancy through an increasing customer base.

 

[justdoit]

The problem I have with GAMSTOP is that I cannot find a single thing about the RG tools available to players to protect them from reaching a point where they need to use the service.

You would think that if they truly cared, they would highlight deposit, loss, wager limits and pop-up reminders.

Funnily enough, from the few well-known charitable organisations I have checked, none seem to mention such services. Is prevention not better than cure? Perhaps they are keen to increase their relevancy through an increasing customer base.

not sure way they making gamstop such big deal, I join on covi19 for a year, after 6 month , I join one UK casino with my name got verified and play rest of 6month well I was on gamstop still have account open but I dont play on that casino any longer

 

[Guntis]

The general public runs to Gamstop, just like those who feel that they have a health problem and need a doctor. They simply search on Google for "what to do if I have a gambling problem" and end up on Gamstop's site. Then, after a month or so, they realize that they can't play on any of the sites they know, and end up searching for different things to play at. Many surely regret that they got involved with it, while some others start living a happier life.

 

[snorky510238]

I never really get the take a break thing. If it gets to the point you need a 6 month break, then the chances are that you already have a problem.

Taking a break is just like burying your head in the sand. Time’s a great healer and 6 months down the road, you forget exactly how bad things had gotten. It’s almost inevitable that the cycle will reoccur sooner or later.

Breaks are for people in denial. Really want to quit, ban yourself for life.

 

[pinnit2014]

I never really get the take a break thing. If it gets to the point you need a 6 month break, then the chances are that you already have a problem.

Taking a break is just like burying your head in the sand. Time’s a great healer and 6 months down the road, you forget exactly how bad things had gotten. It’s almost inevitable that the cycle will reoccur sooner or later.

Breaks are for people in denial. Really want to quit, ban yourself for life.

Agree with you here to be fair - i think, though there are people here who will say otherwise, if you have reached the point of 'having' to use Gamstop then your're a bit on the far side of the addiction spectrum. Even to avoid temptation, if in control, just don't, you actually don't need to use it - if you need to use the service you are admitting you can't control. Fair enough there are variations in this but the point still stands

So i don't why people get all angry over casinos not wanting Gamstop'd players back on their books - if i was was a casino, a relatively responsible one (whatever that means and how true it is!), i wouldn't want them back gambling with me. Harsh as that sounds.

Few posters on here who have said they went on it but on Crypto now and posting winner video's - well, sorry, that's only going to end in tears.

 

[justdoit]

so many experts on problem gambling in this forum

 

[pinnit2014]

Yeah, almost as nuts as folk who slag off Crypto casinos, yet play at Crypto

Arf, Arf.

 

[snorky510238]

so many experts on problem gambling in this forum

Of course there is, some have 40 or more years of experience.

 

[bamberfishcake]

I never really get the take a break thing. If it gets to the point you need a 6 month break, then the chances are that you already have a problem.

Taking a break is just like burying your head in the sand. Time’s a great healer and 6 months down the road, you forget exactly how bad things had gotten. It’s almost inevitable that the cycle will reoccur sooner or later.

Breaks are for people in denial. Really want to quit, ban yourself for life.

Never actually thought of it like that, but that makes perfect sense to me. I don't use RG limits at casinos (unless I am forced to) because if it came to the point where I felt I needed one, I would feel like I had lost some kind of control.

 

[Mr_Slot5]

Never actually thought of it like that, but that makes perfect sense to me. I don't use RG limits at casinos (unless I am forced to) because if it came to the point where I felt I needed one, I would feel like I had lost some kind of control.

I don’t think it’s clear cut really.

Some people simply have more self control than others but even that's not a set metric...at any one point people will be on a scale of 'in control' to totally out of it. Things like life events and mental state can dictate where anyone is on that spectrum at any one time.

Some people are intelligent enough to have self awareness...they may be battling illness, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, may have faced a bereavement, the loss of a job etc and simply know that they may use gambling to self medicate. Can you really blame them if they wanted to take a break for 6 months to ensure there's no possibility of spiralling? Should they then be treated as lepers by casinos due to temporary situations that, for all intents and purposes, are out of their control?

Then there's the perspective that it should not be down to anyone but the individual themselves to play judge, jury and executioner over their own personal finances. Why should it be the concern of anyone else? Autonomy exists and should continue to exist. I, and others, have said many times on here that as long as someone has all the tools they need to help themselves, exclusions, breaks, deposit limits etc then it's all good...they have the ability to be in control, have been offered the ability to be in control. By imposing mandatory account closures and lifetime exclusions, how is the individual then in control? They've had any sense of control over their actions completely taken away from them. It's not really a route we want to go down in a wider sense is it?

Overarching all of this, casinos should absolutely remain alert for signs of potential harm, continue to practice due diligence and be alert for red flag behaviour within their player base. However, this doesn't mean draconian measures need to be implemented at the drop of a hat. Where players have excluded for 6 months or so, would it not be best to reach out and talk to the player in order to ascertain the reasons behind the exclusion, emphasise the importance of responsible play and once again set out the various RG tools available? This gives the player a choice and allows the baton of control to stay firmly with the player.

Obviously people may completely disagree with this but it's just my two pence worth.

 

[Webzcas]

Funnily enough, from the few well-known charitable organisations I have checked, none seem to mention such services. Is prevention not better than cure? Perhaps they are keen to increase their relevancy through an increasing customer base.

GambleAware actually provide quite a bit of useful information and links to services, such as for gambling site blocking apps to include Betblocker, here:

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.

They also provide information on budget control and self exclusion

 

[bamberfishcake]

GambleAware actually provide quite a bit of useful information and links to services, such as for gambling site blocking apps to include Betblocker, here:

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.

They also provide information on budget control and self exclusion

No mention of deposit, loss or wager limits on their site that I could find.

Found information on contacting the bank, info on budget control like you say, and links to other organisations and general advice, but no mention of the RG tools available at all good online casinos.

If you have seen a mention of casino RG tools, please link, because I have been mentioning this for a while now, and nobody likes to look the fool

p.s. I was also talking about GAMSTOP

p.p.s. No mention also on gambleaware.org, at least, not on the link you provided. Seems strange to me that the UKGC makes it mandatory for casinos, yet the supporting charities, at least the main ones, don't mention the tools that can shield players from temptation..

 

[snorky510238]

I don’t think it’s clear cut really.

Some people simply have more self control than others but even that's not a set metric...at any one point people will be on a scale of 'in control' to totally out of it. Things like life events and mental state can dictate where anyone is on that spectrum at any one time.

Some people are intelligent enough to have self awareness...they may be battling illness, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, may have faced a bereavement, the loss of a job etc and simply know that they may use gambling to self medicate. Can you really blame them if they wanted to take a break for 6 months to ensure there's no possibility of spiralling? Should they then be treated as lepers by casinos due to temporary situations that, for all intents and purposes, are out of their control?

Then there's the perspective that it should not be down to anyone but the individual themselves to play judge, jury and executioner over their own personal finances. Why should it be the concern of anyone else? Autonomy exists and should continue to exist. I, and others, have said many times on here that as long as someone has all the tools they need to help themselves, exclusions, breaks, deposit limits etc then it's all good...they have the ability to be in control, have been offered the ability to be in control. By imposing mandatory account closures and lifetime exclusions, how is the individual then in control? They've had any sense of control over their actions completely taken away from them. It's not really a route we want to go down in a wider sense is it?

Overarching all of this, casinos should absolutely remain alert for signs of potential harm, continue to practice due diligence and be alert for red flag behaviour within their player base. However, this doesn't mean draconian measures need to be implemented at the drop of a hat. Where players have excluded for 6 months or so, would it not be best to reach out and talk to the player in order to ascertain the reasons behind the exclusion, emphasise the importance of responsible play and once again set out the various RG tools available? This gives the player a choice and allows the baton of control to stay firmly with the player.

Obviously people may completely disagree with this but it's just my two pence worth.

It really doesn’t work like that with a compulsive gambler. It really doesn’t. Which is what this is ultimately about.

Take any addiction such as drink, drugs, etc. If you reach a point where you think you need to totally stop for 6 months then you must have reached the point of being out of control. After a 6 months break, would it really be a good idea to start again, knowing where previous events had led you? Is the likelihood of reaching the same point, extremely high or extremely low?

 

[Guntis]

I believe the key to stopping for a bit or even quitting gambling lies in the hands of the gambler himself. For start, most gamblers would benefit from playing less often and setting a gambling budget. I play twice a month - once in real casinos and once online - and that's enough for me.

But in the past, I used to play every time I had some money in my pocket, often playing until I had nothing or nearly nothing left.

Trying to hide from yourself behind different tools seems pointless to me.

Registering with places like Gamstop at that time would likely have worsened my situation rather than improved it. First, I would've felt like a complete loser. Secondly, I might have gotten my girlfriend to sign up for a casino account, leading to me losing money right in front of her, plus some potential problems on top of that.

Tools like bet blockers would've been useless for me too, making me feel like an absolute moron. They would've restricted my freedom to do what I want on the internet right in my own home. Even if that had happened, it wouldn't have stopped me if I wanted to play. I would still easily be playing on a Tesco phone like that Bonanza slot man below

 

[justdoit]

Of course there is, some have 40 or more years of experience.

m8 my first gambling online casino was in 1998 on 888 casino,

 

[justdoit]

I believe the key to stopping for a bit or even quitting gambling lies in the hands of the gambler himself. For start, most gamblers would benefit from playing less often and setting a gambling budget. I play twice a month - once in real casinos and once online - and that's enough for me.

But in the past, I used to play every time I had some money in my pocket, often playing until I had nothing or nearly nothing left.

Trying to hide from yourself behind different tools seems pointless to me.

Registering with places like Gamstop at that time would likely have worsened my situation rather than improved it. First, I would've felt like a complete loser. Secondly, I might have gotten my girlfriend to sign up for a casino account, leading to me losing money right in front of her, plus some potential problems on top of that.

Tools like bet blockers would've been useless for me too, making me feel like an absolute moron. They would've restricted my freedom to do what I want on the internet right in my own home. Even if that had happened, it wouldn't have stopped me if I wanted to play. I would still easily be playing on a Tesco phone like that Bonanza slot man below

if you not read to control gambling or stop nothing will help, we all have history

 

[justdoit]

 

[waynek]

I signed up to gamstop in 2019 and not needed to use them since , being flagged as problem gambler is an issue which will drive you offshore, 2019 crypto was new? and curacao was the wild west.
Joined a casino while i was gamstop won i think 350£ had to verify and it then it took them 21 days to it, as you can imagine the balance was 0 by then.

 

[andysbetting1187]

Gamstop is literally pointless in the UK now. With the biggest UK streamers moving to crypto (after slating crypto casinos for years), and putting how to guides together in the form of posts to show people how to do it, gamstop is completley null and void.